What as a freelancer you can learn from Sherlock Holmes

I was fortunate that I had read Sherlock Holmes while I was a boy. It has been one of the pleasant memories of my childhood other than having a very quiant life in small town of North East India. I became a freelancer on my late twenties after eight years of working for a corporation. Here is a list

Be good and try to be excellent in what you do.

Do not stuff your brain with useless items. Most men stuff useless items in their brain and this causes two problems : a) they lack space to put useful items b) the useful items do not have space to connect with other useful times

Discover connections between things rather than things themselves.

If you find yourself sometimes depressed or down, please wait with hope that a new case, an interesting one – an interesting assignment, an important contact is bound to happen anytime soon.

Choose your association and friends carefully.

During times of slow business, prepare for fast business. Study and research

Be dramatic in life. You can practice this all the time in small events and communications.

Be artsitic : do something strictly for the future

Be courteous but firm – say NO when you think you should say No to a project

Always keep faith : you shall get quality information

Be curious but usefully curious

Have varied hobbies

Never speculate without capital data. Instead of guessing, balance probabilities

If you have committed yourself to a project, do not monetary consideration in the middle or any stage hold you back.

Work in your domain with such a passion that people may say : ‘He /She is the last court of appeal in this domain’.

The domain may be as narrow it can be. The domain can be as unconventional it can be. And the domain may be as un-official it may be.

Do not be a good professional only. Create a profession for yourself. Write your own Job Title.

Sherlock Holmes called himself Consulting Detective and that inspired me to take a title Consulting Life-Deisgner (Freelance)